my everyday skincare

something i get asked a lot (other than "you know there's hummus in your hair, right?" messy eater, gulp) is what products i use every day. i like to experiment with new things, but i usually give products a five use rule - unless they seem to work in five uses, i give 'em the the boot. of course, treatment type creams take much longer to make a difference (clinique's even better dark circles corrector is amazing, but takes a while to kick in). so these are the products i use every day to keep my skin in check. just so you know these might work for you, my skin's normal, occasionally a little oily in winter, and a bit sensitive to heavier products. i've never had acne, but i have a natural blush in my cheeks. i've found these products have steered me clear of breakouts through lots of hormonal, psychological and physical stress, and there's nothing i'm keen to replace at the moment. first up is the purity cleansing gel by philosophy - after taking my make up off, i use with a japanese wash cloth to get any leftover make up and general grub off my face. i follow with dermalogica's daily microfoliant - i love, love, love this. gentle enough for everyday use, but really packs a punch for decongesting skin. first thing in the morning, i use institut estederm's pore refiner concentrate, which tightens pores and liquifies sebum. i love it for the fact it seems to just feel really cool and lovely - i've not seen it used on super-oily skin, but it keeps mine soft and smooth. i follow with the amazing new stila face the day gel cream moisturiser, which is really hydrating, but so light you can put make up on straight away. i know the temptation in winter is to scrimp on moisturiser when you feel oily, but just remember if you don't moisturise, your skin will produce more oil in attempt to make it up. them's the breaks. finally, jurlique's herbal recovery eye gel sorts out the weirdly dry skin around my eyes. i keep some caudalie eau de beaute in my handbag - i'm obsessed with this. it's refreshing, sets make-up, tightens pores, and is a general wonder product. actually, i own two, one for my bag, one for my beauty table...